Defending champ Aggies will have hands full with Arkansas ‘D’

COLLEGE STATION – Both Texas A&M coach Gary Blair and Arkansas coach Tom Collen, a former Blair assistant with the Razorbacks, used the “no recognition” card going into tonight’s NCAA tournament second-round showdown in Reed Arena.

Blair said even President Obama, whom the Aggies visited in the White House after winning last year’s national title, picked against A&M vs. the Razorbacks. Meanwhile Collen said Arkansas’ defense isn’t earning as many accolades as it should.

“Our defense, probably because we haven’t been in the NCAA and we haven’t made a run to the Final Four and won a national championship, we haven’t got the recognition,” Collen said. “But right now our defense is ranked (11th) in the country and A&M is No. (114), so I think we have a pretty good defense. We also clearly know that we have to rise to the occasion.”

The two close friends off the court found something they could agree upon concerning the Razorbacks’ defense.

“I don’t believe we have faced anybody that plays on-ball defense as well as they do,” Blair said. “Full court and turning it into half court, whether they’re converting from the 2-2-1 back to man, their on-ball defense on the guards is very good. Only team you could say that would be very similar would be Baylor. The (Lady Bears) have the long reach, the athleticism, but they also have the home base with (Brittney) Griner.

“We’ll have to see.”

The game tips at 8:30 tonight on ESPN2. The winner advances to the Sweet 16 in Raleigh, N.C., with that game set for Sunday against either Maryland or Louisville. Tickets remain, and Blair said he hoped to see at least 9,000 fans in the house tonight for what he dubbed the biggest basketball game in Reed Arena in a “long, long time.”